Spindle-driving and support mechanism

ABSTRACT

An improved spindle-driving and support mechanism particularly intended for driving a false twist spindle for false-twisting textile machinery comprising a pair of closely adjacent coplanar wheels, of which one at least is driven, a spindle having its axis parallel with the rotational axes of the wheels and means maintaining the spindle in rolling contact with each of said wheels by subjecting the spindle to a magnetic attractive force in a plane which is parallel with the wheel axis and inclined at an acute angle to a median plane between the wheels and containing the spindle axis.

United States Patent Inventors Eric Thomas Scriven Wli'eathampstead; Arthur Averil Paget, Harrogate, both of England Appl. No. 8,993

Filed Feb. 5, 1970 Patented Jan. 4, 1972 Assignee Scriven & Paget Limited London, England Priorities Feb. 6, 1969 Great Britain 6,520/69;

Mar. 4, 1969, Great Britain, No. 1 1,348/ 69 SPINDLE-DRIVING AND SUPPORT MECHANISM 15 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 57/77.45, 74/210 Int. Cl D0lh 7/92 Field of Search ..57/77.3-77.45,

34 HS, l03;74/210 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,058,289 10/1962 Raschle 57/77.45 X 3,355,870 12/1967 Mattingly 57/77.45 3,403,566 10/1968 Mattingly 74/210 3,473,313 10/1969 Crouzet 57/77.45 3,488,937 1/l970 Duquette 57/77.45 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,138,226 12/1968 Great Britain Primary Examiner-John Petrakes Attorney-Holman & Stern ABSTRACT: An improved spindle-driving and support mechanism particularly intended for driving a false twist spindle for false-twisting textile machinery comprising a pair of closely adjacent coplanar wheels, of which one at least is driven, a spindle having its axis parallel with the rotational axes of the wheels and means maintaining the spindle in rolling contact with each of said wheels by subjecting the spindle to a magnetic attractive force in a plane which is parallel with the wheel axis and inclined at an acute angle to a median plane between the wheels and containing the spindle axis.

PATENIEU JAN 41972 SHEET 1 [IF 5 I n ET AL m f filial K) ATToRr-ms Pmmmm 4m 3631. 665

SHEET 3 [1F 5 INVENTOR ERIE IHUMAS SERIVEN ET AL ATT64NEYS mEmEm 41972 3.631.665

SHEET u 0F 5 INVENTOR ERIE THOMAS SERIVEN E1 AL PATENTEB JAN 4 i972 SHEET 5 [IF 5 HIV/Y m mm O J T SPINDLE-DRIVING AND SUPPORT MECHANISM This invention relates to spindle-driving and support mechanisms particularly but not exclusively intended to be incorporated in textile false twist yam-processing machines for driving and supporting a textile yam-twisting tube or spindle for use in twisting yarns.

The object of the invention in its main context is to enable one or more spindles to be individually disengaged and withdrawn from their driving members for the purpose of rethreading with yarn and then returned to their operation positions and restarted without the necessity for disengaging an adjacent spindle or spindles or impeding the processing of the yarn passing through that, or each, adjacent spindle.

There have been previous proposals to employ a magnetic flux to attract a spindle to a peripheral driving surface, but these have had the disadvantage that the spindle is not positively located with the result that the spindle is liable to bounce and flutter over small particles attracted to and deposited upon the peripheral driving surfaces of the wheel and the driven faces of the spindle. To enable the spindle to rotate smoothly and steadily with some stability the spindle needs to be finally balanced dynamically but this condition is soon impaired by the accumulation of spin finish" from the running yarn which collects within the bore of the spindle and other surfaces causing the spindle to jump about and lose contact with its driving surface.

To prevent loss of the spindle and to maintain it in running condition a guard or an arrester is sometimes employed to return the spindle to within the magnetic flux by which it is intended to be held in position. However, the fault cycle tends to be frequently repeated and whenever the spindle loses contact with its driving surface loss of twist uniformity is incurred, with the result that the yarn being processed can only be of irregular and substandard quality.

In other false-twisting machines disadvantages result from the means employed for driving and supporting the spindles in that the spindle is drawn directly into the bite between the drive wheels by the flux of the magnetic means so as to be more or less wedged therebetween. This results in high loading on the bearings and an accelerated rate of wear on the frictional surfaces of the driving and driven wheels so that the revolutional speed is thereby limited.

A proposal to support and rotate two twist spindles between three wheels of which one is a driving wheel has limitations in that the first spindle is required to rotate two further wheels as well as the second spindle and this gives rise to the disadvantages mentioned above as well as a heavy load being borne by the first spindle.

A serious disadvantage with existing spindle-driving and supporting mechanisms for supporting two spindles is that both spindles are driven from the same driving surface and consequently they have to be stopped, started and threaded together when processing yarn because no means is provided for stopping one spindle and restarting it again without also stopping the other spindle. Therefore when the yarn breaks in one spindle the yarn then has to be severed in the second spindle so that the mechanism may be stopped, the spindles rethreaded and the process restarted. Where a separate bobbin or cheese is being produced from each individual spindle the result is that two bobbins of yarn are either undersize, have knotted ends or the faulty spindle is left unproductive while the adjacent yarn being processed is run out.

In accordance with the present invention a spindle driving and support mechanism basically comprises a pair of closely adjacent coplanar wheels of which one at least is driven, a spindle having its axis parallel with the rotational axes of the wheels and means maintaining the spindle in rolling contact with each of said wheels by subjecting the spindle to a magnetic attractive force in a plane which is parallel with the wheel axes and inclined at an acute angle to the median plane between the wheels and containing the spindle axis.

More particularly in accordance with the invention a false twist spindle-driving and support mechanism comprises a pair of closely adjacent coplanar wheels of which one at least is driven, a pair of false twist spindles having their axes parallel with the rotational axes of the wheels and situated on each side of a plane containing the wheel axes and means individual to each spindle for maintaining that spindle in rolling contact with each of said wheels by subjecting it to a magnetic attractive force in a plane which is parallel with the wheel axes and inclined at an acute angle to the median plane between the wheels and containing the spindle axis.

The or each maintaining means, which preferably is a horseshoe magnet is angularly movable for the purpose of moving its associated spindle angularly along the periphery of one wheel and out of contact with the other wheel. In this manner one spindle may be stopped and removed without stoppage of an adjacent spindle. The horseshoe magnets may overlap when serving to maintain spindles in rolling contact and may have branched limbs or pole pieces subjecting two spindles to attractive forces of differing strength. One or more pairs of wheels may form part of a group of coplanar wheels with one or a pair of spindles driven and supported between each pair of adjacent wheels in the group. Also spindles of different diameters may be driven and supported between the same pair of wheels.

Various embodiments of the invention suitable for incorporation in a false twist yam-crimping machine will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a plan view of a mechanism for supporting and rotating two false twist spindles;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the same mechanism with one of the spindles and drive wheels operationally disengaged;

FIG. 5 is a further plan view of a similar mechanism having an additional drive wheel to support and rotate four spindles;

FIG. 6 is a scrap view of an alternative method of restraining the spindle.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a mechanism similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but wherein the magnets overlap each other; similarly FIG. 8 is a plan view of a mechanism similar to that shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a mechanism having magnets with branched pole pieces.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a two-part bracket 1 by which the spindle-driving mechanism is clamped upon a pair of horizontal and parallel rods 2 which are attached to the main frame of a false twist yam-crimping machine (not shown).

Secured to the bracket 1 are two shaft bearings 3, each supporting a freely rotatable shaft 4 which carries at its lower end a pulley or cylindrical sleeve 5. The opposite running parts of a moving belt 6 drivably engage and rotate the pulleys.

To the other end of each shaft 4 there is secured a wheel 7 made of metal or synthetic material which is coated or otherwise suitably provided on its periphery with a tough rubberlike synthetic material for frictionally driving and rotating a spindle 8. A groove or channel 9 encircles the periphery of the wheel for the purpose of accommodating an annular projection on the spindle to restrain the latter against excessive endwise movement.

The spindle 8 is of ferrous metal and of tubular form with an annular projection 10 formed or secured at an approximate midway position along its length, the ends of the projection being slightly chamfered. The bore at the lower end of the spindle is flared to facilitate entry of the running yarn and a short distance from the other end there extends across the bore of the spindle a cross pin or peg made of sapphire around which the running yarn to be twisted is wrapped. An end access slot perpendicular to the cross pin is provided to facilitate the threading of the spindle with yarn.

Two horseshoe magnets 11 are secured to brackets 12 so as to embrace the wheels 7. These brackets 12 which can be swiveled within bores in the two-part bracket 1 have sleeves 13 which contain the shaft bearings 3. The bearings 3 have a flange 14 held against the upper surface of the swivel 12 by a nut 15 which is tightened against the underside of the bracket sleeve 13. The length of the sleeves being greater than the length of the bores in the mounting bracket 1 there is sufficient working clearance to permit the bracket and magnet combination to swivel as a unit in an are about the axis of the bearing shaft 4.

Beneath the nut 15 there is a washer 16 of larger diameter than the diameter of the sleeve 13 to lock the swivel unit in the bracket 1.

The horseshoe magnets have pole pieces at their tips which are securely attached by means of an adhesive.

These pole pieces are suitably shaped to concentrate the magnetic field at the pole tips and thereby attract the false twist spindles 8 to the periphery of the wheels 7 whereupon by swiveling the magnet assembly the spindle can be adjusted into light contact with one adjacent wheel 7 which also serves to locate the other adjacent spindle, both wheels 7 being independently driven by opposite running parts of the belt 6 as indicated by the arrows. During periods of adjustment the magnetic units 11 and 12 can be swiveled by releasing a locking device 18.

In this particular mechanism, neither the limbs of the magnets nor their magnetic pole pieces overlap so that there is no possibility of one of the magnets exerting a significant force on more than one of the spindles. Also it should be noted from FIG. 1 that the magnets when in their operative positions are respectively disposed on opposite sides of a line connecting the axes of the two drive wheels 7.

Referring now to FIG. 4 it should be noted that a nonoperational spindle has been moved to a position 21 clear of one driving wheel 22 as a result of anticlockwise swiveling motion of its controlling magnet assembly 11, 12. The lefthand part of the bracket is then unclamped and moved slightly to the left so as to withdraw the associated pulley 5 out of contact with the belt 6 so that the wheel 22 comes to rest. The spindle can now be removed from position 21 for rethreading while the first spindle remains in operation.

In order to restore the mechanism to full operation the spindle has to be replaced in the magnetic field on the periphery of the wheel 22 at position 21. Next the bracket part is moved to the right and reclamped so that the belt 6 is restored into driving contact with the pulley 5. The magnetic assembly is then swiveled to bring the rethreaded spindle into a comparable position to that of spindle 8, and finally both running spindles are adjusted so that they lightly contact the wheels. This is accomplished by rotating the magnet assemblies and relocking them after the adjustment is finished.

FIG. 5 shows in plan a similar mechanism with three wheels for supporting and rotating four false twist spindles. The mode of operation of this mechanism is analogous to the mechanism illustrated in the preceding Figures, but a principal exception could be that any two of the wheels are rotated from the belt while the remaining idler wheel, depending upon which one is selected, may be rotated by either two or four spindles.

FIG. 6 shows a spindle provided with two end flanges engageable alternatively with either of the end faces of its driving wheels so that the spindle is restrained against undue endwise movement.

It is to be understood that various expedients may be adopted for engaging and disengaging the frictional drive between the belt and one or other or both of the pulleys 5 when required. Thus for instance the belt may be moved laterally or the pulleys may be moved rectilinearly or in an arc into and out of frictional driving contact with the belt.

Referring now to FIG. 7 the mechanism therein shown closely resembles the mechanism already described with reference to and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 except that the horseshoe magnets overlap when in their operative positions. This embodiment also operates in a similar manner but due to the overlap it is advisable to ensure that adjacent pole pieces of the respective magnets are of like polarity since otherwise, although it may be desirable for each magnet to have some attractive effect on each spindle (with a stronger effect on one than on the other), it may not be possible by turning one magnet to withdraw a spindle out of contact with one wheel owing to a counter attraction by the other magnet.

FIG. 8, comparable with FIG. 5 shows how a group of three wheels of which two are driven, and two pairs of magnets may be used to drive and support four spindles in two pairs.

FIG. 9 shows a mechanism resembling somewhat the arrangement shown in FIG. 7 insofar as the horseshoe magnets in their operative positions overlap each other. In this mechanism however, the pole pieces affixed at the ends of the limbs of the magnets have a short branch and a long branch which respectively exert a lesser and a greater attractive force upon the two spindles opposite the two branches, an arrangement which is considered to be advantageous.

In all embodiments it may be useful if desired to design the mechanism so that the periphery of one wheel of a spindledriving and supporting pair is freely accommodated in a circumferential groove in the other wheel, thereby increasing the angle of the nip between the wheels and reducing the tendency of a spindle to become jammed between the wheels.

There are several important advantages inherent in the mechanism according to the present invention the main of which is that only two wheels need be employed to locate and rotate two false twist spindles, the driving wheel of one spindle being the guiding and locating wheel of the adjacent spindle, and the driving wheel of the second spindle being the guiding wheel of the first spindle. Normally, but not necessarily, as above described both driving wheels are positively rotated by means of their pulleys in contact with a belt moving transversely of the rotational axis of the drive wheels so that any wedging action of the spindle on account of the reaction when the spindle is required to rotate an undriven wheel is virtually eliminated. Moreover the friction and load is reduced and higher speeds are possible.

In the mechanism of the present invention the false twist spindles are magnetically drawn into drivable contact with the peripheral surface of their driving wheels and are not drawn directly into the nip between the two wheels. By then swiveling the magnetic assembly through an arc concentric about the axis of the drive wheel the spindle is manipulated into a sensitive contact and not a drivable contact with its adjacent wheel which then becomes purely a locating or guiding wheel. This locating wheel is normally independently driven and is the driving wheel also for the spindle magnetically attracted to its periphery. The rotatable false twist spindles are thus freely rotatable and have no driving loads, and only low-frictional loads. Moreover, there is less wear and the spindles are capable of higher rotational speeds than hitherto achieved.

The mechanism of the present invention permits a yarn breakage in one spindle to be rethreaded without discontinuity in the processing of the yarn in the adjacent false twist spindle.

The mechanism of the present invention may have the two pulleys of the drive wheels spaced lengthwise of the machine in drivable contact and synchronously driven by a belt moving transversely of the rotational axis of the drive wheels.

We claim:

1. A false twist spindle-driving and support mechanism comprising: a pair of closely adjacent coplanar wheels of which one at least is driven; a pair of false twist spindles having their axes parallel with the rotational axes of the wheels and situated one each side of a plane containing the wheel axes; and maintaining means individual to each spindle for maintaining that spindle in rolling contact with each of said wheels by subjecting it to a magnetic attractive force in a plane which is parallel with the wheel axes and inclined in an acute angle to the median plane between the wheels and containing the spindle axis, the magnetic forces on the spindles being in parallel opposite directions so that the spindles are predominantly attracted to different wheels; and further means for independently angularly rotating each said maintaining means so as to move its associated spindle parallel to itself and along the periphery of one wheel.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which each maintaining means is a horseshoe magnet which embraces a wheel and has pole pieces disposed opposite the ends of a spindle.

3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 2 in which each horseshoe magnet is secured to a bracket which is rotatable through an arc concentric with the axis of the wheel embraced by the magnet, the bracket-forming part of said further means.

4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which each maintaining means is a horseshoe magnet and in which a pair of horseshoe magnets embrace adjacent wheels and overlap each other when maintaining two spindles in rolling contact with both said adjacent wheels.

5. A mechanism as claimed in claim 4 in which each limb of each horseshoe magnet has two spaced pole pieces which exert a major and a minor attractive force upon the respective spindles of the pair of spindles which are driven and supported by the adjacent wheels embraced by the magnets.

6. A mechanism as claimed in claim 4 in which each limb of each horseshoe magnet terminates in a dual branched pole piece and in which a shorter branch of one magnet exerts a minor attractive force upon a spindle which is subjected to a major attractive force from the longer branch of the other horseshoe magnet and vice versa.

7. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which one or more pairs of said wheels form part of a group of coplanar wheels with a pair of spindles driven and supported between each pair of adjacent wheels in the group.

8. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which at least one outermost wheel in said group is driven.

9. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which two outermost wheels in said group are driven by counterrunning parts ofa single driving belt.

10. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which there are three wheels in a group and two pairs of spindles each pair of spindles being driven and supported between a central wheel and a respective one of two outside wheels in the group.

11. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which the spindles of a pair between adjacent wheels are of different diameter.

12. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 having a spindle with an annular projection intermediate its ends and driven and supported by said wheels which include a peripheral groove accommodating the increased diameter part of the spindle which is thereby restrained against movement along its axis.

13. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 having a spindle which is flanged or enlarged at each end, for the prevention of movement of the spindle along its axis relative to the wheels by which it is driven and supported.

14. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 having a false twist spindle with, at one end, a transverse cross pin of a hard material and an end slot perpendicular thereto, the opposite end of the spindle being internally flared.

15. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein one wheel of a pair peripherally enters a circumferential groove formed between the ends of the other wheel of the pair. 

1. A false twist spindle-driving and support mechanism comprising: a pair of closely adjacent coplanar wheels of which one at least is driven; a pair of false twist spindles having their axes parallel with the rotational axes of the wheels and situated one each side of a plane containing the wheel axes; and maintaining means individual to each spindle for maintaining that spindle in rolling contact with each of said wheels by subjecting it to a magnetic attractive force in a plane which is parallel with the wheel axes and inclined in an acute angle to the median plane between the wheels and containing the spindle axis, the magnetic forces on the spindles being in parallel opposite directions so that the spindles are predominantly attracted to different wheels; and further means for independently angularly rotating each said maintaining means so as to move its associated spindle parallel to itself and along the periphery of one wheel.
 2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which each maintaining means is a horseshoe magnet which embraces a wheel and has pole pieces disposed opposite the ends of a spindle.
 3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 2 in which each horseshoe magnet is secured to a bracket which is rotatable through an arc concentric with the axis of the wheel embraced by the magnet, the bracket-forming part of said further means.
 4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which each maintaining means is a horseshoe magnet and in which a pair of horseshoe magnets embrace adjacent wheels and overlap each other when maintaining two spindles in rolling contact with both said adjacent wheels.
 5. A mechanism as claimed in claim 4 in which each limb of each horseshoe magnet has two spaced pole pieces which exert a major and a minor attractive force upon the respective spindles of the pair of spindles which are driven and supported by the adjacent wheels embraced by the magnets.
 6. A mechanism as claimed in claim 4 in which each limb of each horseshoe magnet terminates in a dual branched pole piece and in which a shorter branch of one magnet exerts a minor attractive force upon a spindle which is subjected to a major attractive force from the longer branch of the other horseshoe magnet and vice versa.
 7. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which one or more pairs of said wheels form part of a group of coplanar wheels with a pair of spindles driven and supported between each pair of adjacent wheels in the group.
 8. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which at least one outermost wheel in said group is driven.
 9. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which two outermost wheels in said group are driven by counterrunning parts of a single driving belt.
 10. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which there are three wheels in a group and two pairs of spindles eacH pair of spindles being driven and supported between a central wheel and a respective one of two outside wheels in the group.
 11. A mechanism as claimed in claim 7 in which the spindles of a pair between adjacent wheels are of different diameter.
 12. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 having a spindle with an annular projection intermediate its ends and driven and supported by said wheels which include a peripheral groove accommodating the increased diameter part of the spindle which is thereby restrained against movement along its axis.
 13. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 having a spindle which is flanged or enlarged at each end, for the prevention of movement of the spindle along its axis relative to the wheels by which it is driven and supported.
 14. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 having a false twist spindle with, at one end, a transverse cross pin of a hard material and an end slot perpendicular thereto, the opposite end of the spindle being internally flared.
 15. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein one wheel of a pair peripherally enters a circumferential groove formed between the ends of the other wheel of the pair. 